wines on vine: destination paradise
On an afternoon in late April, I had the absolute pleasure of joining Wines on Vine owner, Burk Kessinger along with wine manager and educator Cynthia Jo Penn, for an enlightening conversation, over a glass, (or more accurately a bottle) of their finest Rose’. Amid sips and conversation, we cheerfully reminisced on the origins of one of Lexington’s hottest gems.
While he remains deeply rooted in Kentucky’s equine history, Kessinger sold his successful equine training business and opened Wines on Vine: Wine Shop and Bistro. It has since become one of Lexington’s premiere wining and dining spots, offering a friendly and familial atmosphere enjoyable for everyone.
“I wanted to start something that was a more European style bistro,” explains Kessinger. “We wanted to create something small and fun where you know your clientele and serve great drinks at affordable prices.” He continues, “This has been our main goal along with keeping prices down on really high quality food.”
Kessinger credits his team as the secret to their success saying “we have a great chef and a great sous chef and our general manager Larry Dean has really done a very nice job running the restaurant while Cynthia Jo runs the wine the wine side of the shop beautifully.” Not only is Wines on Vine a destination for eating and drinking, it is a destination for education when it comes to wine, beer and spirits.
“When Burk brought me on board, the goal was to overhaul the store selection wise and to offer customers both older and newer something they cannot find any other place,” explains CJ. Though there are many familiar wines available, CJ truly wanted to showcase what real wine making is like around the world and no other place has done what they are doing with their profound wine education program. Here, interested partisans explore through wine tastings and specialized wine classes (offered once a month) designed for everyone whether you know a little or a lot about wine, you just want to learn, or you just want to drink. CJ says, “We have become one big cohesive family because patrons love coming every month to the wine dinners, tastings and wine classes.”
Every month, Wines on Vine offers a selection of events to fit into your schedule. One Monday night per month is reserved for wine dinners where chef Jason prepares an extensive multiple course dinner paired perfectly with wines showcased by special guests. Every Tuesday night is Martini and Manicure night. Here, ladies receive a delicious drink and a fabulous manicure for $10 starting at 5:30 pm. Wednesday nights weekly are designated for a free wine tasting from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and Thursdays are reserved for special events. Retail Saturday is the crème de la crème at Wines on Vine because the corkage fee (an $8 value) is waived with the purchase of an entrée.
Set in a natural and relaxed environment, diners and wine lovers alike take great pleasure in an experience that far surpasses Kessinger’s initial goal with the inclusion of an extensive wine education program unlike any other in Lexington. CJ adds, “You cannot go anywhere else that features an entire store as their wine list and Burk takes great enjoyment in this. What you can save when you shop here or have a bottle of wine with dinner on Saturday night will buy you an additional dinner because the entire wine shop is your wine list at retail price, which is truly remarkable.” This is one of the most uniquely amazing attributes about this place and though Burk, Larry and CJ love making sure their customers are extremely happy when they walk out the door, this offering absolutely helps to ensure that.
Another feature offering an atmosphere of ease that they do not usually experience is the invitation to enjoy Burk’s private loft space above the shop and restaurant for special tastings and events once a month. This warm welcome attests to the passion Burk and his team have for their patrons and it creates a tight knit group of friends enjoying an evening together month after month.
Despite the treasure that is Wines on Vine, Burk shares “one of the things I am most proud of is the diversity of the crowd that comes in. Once people finds us, they keep coming back and there is nothing that brings us greater enjoyment.”